Ohio Breweries by Rick Armon

A private equity firm in Cleveland is investing in Uinta Brewing Co., one of the largest craft breweries in the U.S. The Riverside Co. announced the deal with the Salt Lake City brewery today. (Aug. 29)

"This investment from Riverside will allow us to expand our distribution, enhance our production capacity, continue our new beer development and increase our efforts in getting the word out about Uinta’s fantastic beer,” Uinta founder Will Hamill said in a news release.

The firm declined to release financial terms, but said it is Riverside's first investment in a craft brewery. Uinta is the 46th largest craft brewer in the country, according to the Brewers Association. Its brands include Hop Nosh IPA and Cutthroat Pale Ale.

SweetWater Brewing Co. will release its beers in the Columbus and Cleveland markets in October, the brewery announced today. (Aug. 28) Tastings are set for the week of Oct. 6 in Columbus and the week of Oct. 13 in Cleveland, Akron, Canton and Youngstown.

The Atlanta brewery, which announced earlier this year that it was moving into Ohio, is bringing its 420 Extra Pale Ale, SweetWater IPA, SweetWater Blue and Take Two Pils in bottles, cans and on draft. It also will offer the SweetWater Tackle Box, a variety 12-pack featuring three of SweetWater’s year-round beers and a seasonal.

The brewery -- the 19th largest craft brewer in the U.S. -- also announced today that it has teamed up with Superior Beverage Group to distribute its beers in the central and northeast Ohio markets. It hasn't yet announced distributors for the remainder of the state.

Columbus is getting another World of Beer. The company and New Tap Gateway announced today (Aug. 27) that they have signed a 10-year lease with Campus Partners, a subsidiary of The Ohio State University, to open a tavern at the South Campus Gateway development.

The new location will feature a 4,500-square-foot patio and beer garden.

“The introduction of an open air beer garden at the South Campus Gateway will be a game changer not only for WOB but for the entire neighborhood surrounding the OSU campus,” Mark Pottschmidt, a partner with New Tap Gateway LLC, said in a news release.

-- Columbus Business First reports that Hofbrauhaus at Grandview Yard plans to open by Oct. 21. To read the full story, click here.

-- The Detroit News reports on the hop farming boom in Michigan. Since 2007, the number of commercial acres devoted to hops has gone from zero to 400, the newspaper says. “Probably 75 percent of the growers we have in the [Michigan Hop] Alliance are all new to farming,” farmer Brian Tennis says. “They just got into it because they’re more brewing enthusiasts than actual farmers.” To read the full story, click here.

With Labor Day fast approaching, the Beer Institute is reminding Americans about the importance of breweries to the U.S. economy. Each brewery job supports an additional 45 jobs in other industries, the Washington, D.C.-based group says.

“Today we toast to the industry’s 2 million men and women who make it possible for Americans to enjoy their favorite beer,” Jim McGreevy, Beer Institute president and chief executive officer, said in a news release issued Tuesday. (Aug. 26) “America’s preference for beer is a huge boon to the national economy and the American worker.”

In Ohio, an estimated 82,730 jobs are supported by the beer industry, providing a $10 billion economic impact, according to the 2012 Beer Serves America report.

Thrillist -- that website that gets its giggles from putting together list after list after list -- ranks Ohio-made beer 12th in the U.S. based on quality and quantity.

Here's the short write-up on the Buckeye State:

"Great Lakes. That’s all you need to know. Except not really, since you should also be very, very aware of IBU boundary-defiers Hoppin’ Frog, the newly dominating Rust Belt, Cinci’s Christian Moerlein, rapidly expanding Fat Head's (they’re not just life-size wall stickers of NFL players and the Jonas Brothers anymore!), and barrel-aging fiends Thirsty Dog. Yes, much of Cleveland’s economy is based on LeBron James. But thanks to joints like Nano Brew and open fermentation hideaway Indigo Imp, it's only a matter of time before beer catches up."

The Cleveland Labor Day Oktoberfest is more than just schnitzel and lederhosen. The event, held this weekend (Aug. 29-Sept. 1) at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds in Berea, showcases 22 craft breweries and includes a judged competition.

The craft beer tasting works like this: You pay to get into the event and then pay separately for individual beers. The tasting hours are 4 p.m. to midnight Friday, 2 p.m. to midnight Saturday and Sunday, and 2 to 8 p.m. Monday.

Maize Valley Brewery will hold its grand opening on Labor Day (Sept. 1), kicking off with eight draft beers. The nanobrewery — located at Maize Valley Winery in Marlboro Township — will be open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on opening day.

“We’re trying to make real flavorful beers with styles for every palate at this point,” said brewmaster Jake Turner, a full-time Alliance firefighter.

Maize Valley has held a few beer tastings and participated in this year’s Rhythm & Brews festival in Canton, but Monday marks its official launch.

It's a busy time for Ohio beer news. Here are some great Ohio beer stories, along with some others:

-- The Toledo Blade reports on the new Black Frog Brewery in Holland. “I just wanted to do something that I loved,” owner and brewer Chris Harris says. “From the very first moment I started brewing I just really fell in love with it. The more I did it, the more I wanted to do it more and more. I was like, ‘Wow, I would really like to do this on a professional level.' " To read the full story, click here.

-- WCPO reports on the new Old Firehouse Brewery, which is slated to open Sept. 12 in Williamsburg. “Reception even among the local brewers has been phenomenal,” co-owner Adam Cowan says. “We’re here to be part of the team.” To read the full story, click here.

The event will showcase 12 breweries: Portsmouth, Jackie O’s, Thirsty Dog, The Brew Kettle, New Belgium, Goose Island, Troegs, 21st Amendment, Victory, Deschutes, Samuel Adams and Bell’s. It also will feature live music and food from Buffalo Wild Wings and Portsmouth Brewing. Vicarias Cigars also will be on hand for tasting and offer rolling demonstrations.

“Food. Breweries. Music. What else do you need in life?” asked Robert Rutman, owner of The Party Connection, which is putting on the event.

The event will feature beer, polka music and a menu with a choice of two entrees (beer battered cod, pork schnitzel, bratwurst and kraut, or chicken cutlets), with unlimited sides (braised red cabbage, green beans, spaetzle, potato pancakes and German potato salad).

Tickets -- which are $18 -- include soft drinks and three 4-ounce beer tastings. The brewery has 12 taps of its own beer, and will feature an all-day special on its OctoberFest Lager.

It’s going to be a busy beer weekend in Ohio. There are at least five big beer festivals, including two in Columbus taking place on the same day.

Here’s the rundown reminder:

• The Craft Brew at the Zoo runs from 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday at the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium in Powell. There’s also a VIP session starting at 5 p.m. but that’s sold out. The event offers more than 50 craft beers, food and live music by J.T. Hillier, Drake White and the Big Fire Band, and Keith Anderson. Tickets are $30 and include a 10-ounce tasting glass and six 4-ounce samples. For more details, click here.

-- The Wall Street Journal reports on the mobile canning trend. The story mentions Buckeye Canning, which is based in Amherst, Ohio. "If anybody's getting in this business to make a million dollars and have a cushy job, this is not for them," Lindsey Herrema of Can Van, whose founders sometimes work seven days a week, tells the newspaper. To read the full story, click here.

-- This Week reports on Zauber Brewing Co. in Columbus, which has stepped up to a 20-barrel brewing system. “Demand is not so much a problem for us as much as supply,” owner and brewer Geoff Towne says. To read the full story, click here.

Market Garden Brewery in Cleveland is taking the Ice Bucket Challenge to raise money and awareness to fight ALS. At 11 a.m. Thursday (Aug. 21), the staff will dump pitchers of beers on each other -- capturing the moment on video, of course.

The brewpub also will donate $1 to the ALS Association for every pint of Hop Drive Session IPA sold from Thursday through Sunday. (NOTE: The brewery originally said it was going to start Friday but later announced it would start Thursday to donate even more money.) Jeff Draeger, assistant general manager, noted that plenty of people are taking the challenge but not donating to the cause.

In other Market Garden news, the brewpub has set the date for its third annual Pumpkin Beer Fest. It will start at 4 p.m. Oct. 9. The event will feature 12 pumpkin beers, with more of a focus on local brews this year, including Market Garden Castle Pumpkin Ale served out of large pumpkin firkin. The brewery is still working on the beer list.

BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse employees will be out in the hop fields Friday (Aug. 22) harvesting fresh hops for the brewery's seasonal Field Day IPA. Social media marketing coordinator Johnny Newnes says he will be at the Crosby Hop Farm in Woodburn, Ore., tweeting (@bjsrestaurants) and sending out photos via Instagram. (instagram.com/bjsrestaurants)

"Field Day IPA is a wet hopped IPA, so our harvest of the hops is a real event as we quickly shoot the hops from the fields to the fermenters at our Reno Brewery within hours of picking," Newnes said in an email. "The result of the hop harvest and quick action to brew with those wet hops is an unusually and brilliantly fresh tasting IPA. Needless to say, we are very excited about this year’s batch!"

The beer -- whcih is 6.5 percent alcohol by volume, will be released at all BJ's locations, including those in Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton, on Sept. 2.

The Moerlein Lager House in Cincinnati will celebrate hoppy beers Saturday (Aug. 23) with its "Hop Heaven" event. Throughout the day, the brewpub will offer hoppy brews from around the country and also Gin Bunny, the winner of the inaugural Moerlein Cup homebrew competition.

Among the beers available on draft will be:

The Moerlein Lager House also will unveil a new specialty house brew. In addition to the draft beers, Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye, Jackie O's Hop Ryot, Green Flash West Coast IPA, Southern Tier 2X IPA, Bell’s Two Hearted Ale and Ballast Point Sculpin will be available in bottles and cans.

-- Listermann Brewing Co. in Cincinnati -- which also is home to the brand Triple Digit -- is expanding. “We’re seeing the demand for our product not level off at all and continue to grow. In order to keep everyone happy and keep ourselves happy – because we don’t like to see people go without beer – we decided it’s time to expand,” Jason Brewer says. You can check out coverage by the Cincinnati Business Courier and Cincinnati Enquirer.

-- Columbus Business First notes that Norfolk, Va., is taking a shot at the water quality in Columbus as the cities compete along with Richmond, Va., for a new Stone Brewing Co. brewery. To read the report, click here.

Hoppin' Frog Brewery is resurrecting another beer. Smashing Berry Ale will make a comeback next week.

The Akron brewery will release the fruit beer, made with red raspberries, on draft and in bottles at its Tasting Room starting at 3 p.m. Aug. 27. The cost is $7.99 for a 22-ounce bottle. The beer will be available exclusively at the brewery.

Hoppin' Frog stopped making Smashing Berry years ago, owner and brewer Fred Karm said, because it didn't fit in with the brewery's portfolio at the time.

CraftBeer.com received more than 3,400 nominations this year for its "Great American Beer Bars" promotion. The website divided up the country into five regions and narrowed the list to the top 10 in each region. People can now vote on their favorites.

Lizardville -- a brand of the Winking Lizard Tavern chain -- is in the North Central region. Lizardville, which offers 800 bottled beers and more than 200 whiskeys, is the only bar from Ohio in the running. (There also are Lizardvilles in Copley Township and Lakewood.)

-- Serious Eats reports on nine lesser known India pale ales that you should give a try, including Citra Dog from Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. in Akron. "Citra hops shine all the way through this IPA, adding their signature guava, lychee, and stone fruit flavors from the first whiff to the last sip," author Marcy Franklin writes. "But don't let those fruit flavors make you think 'sweet'—this IPA packs a not-kidding bitter grapefruity punch around its malty core." To read the full report and read all the recommendations, click here.

-- WCPO offers up a quiz to help you determine which Cincinnati-area beer you are. To take the quiz, click here.

Stone Brewing Co. announced Friday on its Facebook page that Columbus is one of three finalists for its new brewery. Ohio's state capital will be competing against two cities in Virginia: Richmond and Norfolk.

The Escondido, Calif.-based brewer has plans to open a second brewery east of the Mississippi River.

“We do not have a specific date in which we will make a final decision, however I anticipate an announcement to be made in 30 to 60 days,” brewery spokeswoman Sabrina LoPiccolo said in an email.

The Dayton Daily News says that Warped Wing will tap a collaboration beer with Jackie O's Brewery in Athens called Secret HOPeration, a double India pale ale. The tapping is set for 4 p.m.

“The purpose of Beer Week, similar to AleFest, is to expose more people to the wonders of craft beers locally through various establishments, (including) taverns, restaurants and retail operations,” AleFest founder and Warped Wing co-founder Joe Waizmann told the Dayton Daily News. “It is really about the exposure and heightening the awareness of the category.”

Boston Beer Co. founder and brewer Jim Koch will offer a special toast this year at Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, the festival has announced. Koch, an Ohio native, will tap the keg at the opening ceremony at 11:30 a.m. Sept. 20 at Fountain Square.

The 39th annual event is set for Sept. 19-21 in downtown Cincinnati. It's the second largest Oktoberfest in the world and attracted more than 600,000 people last year.

Organizers noted in a news release that visitors are known to polish off a few beers and bratwursts during the event. They estimated that people consume more than 1,300 barels of beer, 20,000 cream puffs and 80,000 bratwursts.

Well, it took awhile -- OK, let's just say it took fooooooorever -- but Ohio Brew Week has finally announced the People's Choice beer awards. It turns out it was a tie for No. 1, with Triple Digit Chickow! and Willoughby Peanut Butter Cup Coffee Porter sharing the Best Overall Brew of Ohio Brew Week 2014 top honor.

It was a three-way tie for second: Baltic Merman from Jackie O's, Blueberry Ale from Rocky River and PawPaw Ale from Weasel Boy.

There also was a three-way tie for third: Barbarossa from Moerlein Lager House, BORIS the Crusher from Hoppin' Frog and Double Couple Three Hops from Catawba Island.

Two Ohio breweries are headed to this year’s Sun King CANvitational — a beer festival in Indianapolis dedicated to canned craft beers.

MadTree and Rhinegeist, both from Cincinnati, are among the more than 40 breweries participating in the second annual event. The festival is set for Sept. 20 on Pan Am Plaza and Georgia Street in Indianapolis.

Both breweries are psyched to attend and spread the word about quality craft beer being available in a can.

The ninth annual Ohio Craft Brew Festival returns Sept. 12-14 to the North Market in Columbus. The three-day festival -- one of the largest fundraisers for the North Market Development Authority -- will showcase more than 20 Ohio breweries this year.

"This is the premiere craft brewing event in Ohio and we have invited some of the finest brewers in the state," North Market Executive Director Rick Harrison said in a prepared statement issued today. (Aug. 13) "Tasters will get to experience local favorites as well as hard to find out-of-town brews."

Deschutes Brewery is bringing its Base Camp for Beer Fanatics to Columbus for a weeklong celebration featuring tastings, parties and a visit by “Woody,” the brewery’s mobile bar and mascot. The activities run from Aug. 25 to Aug. 31.

“Columbus is a new market for us,” said Joey Pleich, field marketing manager for the Oregon brewery. “We just launched our brands out there a matter of months ago. So the idea was to come and support that launch. This is a chance for people see a little bit more about who we are and what we do. We’re going to be bringing out some different varieties of beers that we do, some different pub beers that we make ... We introduce our culture through interactive events.”

Deschutes has been conducting its Base Camp for Beer program for four years. The Columbus visit is part of an eight-city tour this year. The craft brewer, the sixth largest in the U.S., has already hit Los Angeles, San Diego, Kansas City, Boise, Idaho, and Duluth, Minn.

All the professional sports leagues have some sort of comeback player of the year award. You know, that honor that goes to the guy or gal who has overcome a serious injury or just plain stunk the season before.

Well, perhaps beer needs a Comeback Beer of the Year Award. At least for this year.Hoppin’ Frog Brewery in Akron resurrected Gulden Fraug Belgian-Style Ale earlier this year after shelving the recipe years ago.

Cellar Dweller Brewery in Morrow will release a special beer Thursday (Aug. 14) that honors a local Marine who was shot and killed in California in March.

Corporal Khaos Pale Ale was brewed by homebrewer Ben Martin to honor his best friend since kindergarten, 26-year-old Marine Cpl. Steven Kohus. The beer was made as part of Cellar Dweller’s “So You Wanna Be a Brewer” program, which allows local homebrewers to brew their own recipe at the brewery and have it released in the taproom.

Family and friends of Kohus — pronounced "chaos" and thus the name of the beer, head brewer Steve Shaw said — will be at the special keg tapping, which takes place at 6 p.m.

The Hoppin' Frog Brewery Tasting Room in Akron will host the Taproom Takeover Comedy Tour at 7:30 p.m. Monday. (Aug. 18) The doors open at 6 p.m. and the Tasting Room will serve a three-course dinner at 6:30 p.m.

Comedians Ky Miller and Mike Berlon launched the tour earlier this year as a way to combine their love of craft beer and making people laugh. (To read a previous story on the tour, click here.)

Tickets are $35 and can be purchased at the brewery. Reservations can be made by calling 234-525-3764.

The Short North Pint House in Columbus will host the launch of Crabbie's Alcoholic Ginger Beer's new flavor Spiced Orange from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday. (Aug. 14).

“The people of Columbus have been great supporters of Crabbie’s since we first launched Original so we are very excited to introduce Spiced Orange to the area,” Phil Clarke, general manager of St. Killian Importing Co, the exclusive U.S. importer of Crabbie’s, said in a news release. “We look forward to our Crabbie’s Night and hope to meet new friends and fans and enjoy these delicious drinks together.”

Ahh, back to work. I spent last week in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where the wi-fi was down at our remote vacation cabin. I didn't feel like driving eight miles to check in on my email or log on to the Internet. (All last week's posts were written in advance and uploaded by a colleague.) Instead, I was more than happy to drink Blackrocks, Keweenaw, Short's, Mt. Pleasant, Lake Superior, Cheboygan and other local brews. And that said, I'm way behind on Ohio beer news. Here are some interesting stories as I catch up:

-- The Washington Post ranks Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati as the second-best Major League Baseball stadium for craft beer. Progressive Field, the home of the Cleveland Indians, ranked third overall. Safeco Field, home of the Seattle Mariners, is the best. To read the newspaper's full analysis, click here.

-- The Daily Meal compiled a list of the 50 best craft breweries in the U.S. with the help of beer experts around the country and three Ohio breweries are among them. Great Lakes Brewing (29th) in Cleveland, Fat Head's Brewery (45th) in Middleburg Heights and Jackie O's Brewery (46th) in Athens made the cut. Founders Brewing came out on top. To read the full list, click here.

Beer blogs and websites are a dime a dozen nowadays. Everybody, and I mean everybody, has one. Especially in Cincinnati, where local hospitals must hand out web addresses and WordPress accounts to all newborns.

As a full-time newspaper reporter who writes about the beer industry and the Ohio scene in particular, I keep an eye on beer blogs, specifically ones here in Ohio. It’s a way to spot burgeoning trends and see what’s on the minds of passionate craft beer drinkers.

I gravitate more toward beer blogs that share news about a brand or a brewery or a city’s beer culture. I want to be educated. Blogs that focus on beer reviews or rehash festivals are wasted on me.

That said, here are my five favorite Ohio beer blogs and websites, which skew toward newsy, in alphabetical order:

Brewery co-owner John Najeway will be on hand to discuss the six beers being featured, and Chef Jeremy Heinl will talk about the food.

Guests will start out with Ankle Biter, the brewery’s session India pale ale. Then, Whippet Wheat will be paired with a jumbo chicken wing, Citra Dog with grilled shrimp, Beacon Brew 175 with a pork skewer, Rail Dog with a rack of lamb, and Cerberus with a Belgian waffle with vanilla bean ice cream.

“The long and short of it is we’ve just kind of outgrown where we’re at,” co-owner Matt Kiene said.

Lager Heads is renovating a concrete block building — a former tool and die shop at 325 W. Smith Road — just a few blocks from the historic Medina Square. The brewery is still months away from moving its brewing equipment there and expanding its capacity, Kiene said.

Aqueduct Brewing Co. hopes to open later this month in the former Burkhardt Brewing Co. building on Grant Street — the same building now occupied by Thirsty Dog Brewing Co.

Aqueduct, tucked in a far back corner of the complex, is industrial chic. The small tasting room and brewery has a concrete floor, poured concrete bar, exposed brick and a ceiling fashioned of red tin.

Co-owners Robert Hernandez and Dale Dorn want to create a synergy of sorts with the much larger Thirsty Dog, with craft beer drinkers flowing between the two taprooms. Aqueduct will employ a two-barrel brewing system. In addition to having a tasting room, it will distribute beer to local bars and restaurants.

Craft beer and big beards go together like ... well ... things that go well together.

But, as anybody with a bushy beard will attest, they can be disobedient at times. Think bed head is bad? Try bed beard.

That’s where the new Beerded Beard Co. and Lesher’s Beerd Balm comes in. Craft beer blogger and entrepreneur Bob Lesher of Cleveland has created a series of hop-infused beard conditioning balms, blending his passion for craft beer with his desire for nice-smelling and manageable facial hair.